Meet Kenzie (Vhyxin) Campbell | Tattoo Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kenzie (Vhyxin) Campbell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kenzie (Vhyxin), we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
In the tattooing industry, especially when an artist is first learning, every decision we make involves risk. The moment we put a needle to skin, there is risk; risk that you could mess up, risk that the client may not like the outcome, risk that you could stab yourself. Despite how easy some of us artist might make it look, the art of tattooing is more than just drawing. The entire time I’m creating artwork on someone else, my mind is constantly running. I’m focused on the pressure of my hands, the speed of my fingers, how deep the needle is going, and following the stencil I’ve made to perfection, all while usually holding a conversation with my client. I truly feel as if there isn’t a time when risk isn’t involved during my work-day, I’m putting my work on the line every time I sit a client down in the chair.
I had months of training before I ever picked up a tattoo machine, and then many more even after the fact, and I still didn’t feel ready the day my mentor told me to actually tattoo a living breathing person. Not only was I taking a risk in myself to preform well and truly decide if this was the path I was meant to be on, but the client herself, who allowed me to be their tattoo artist despite it being the first tattoo I’d ever done, was also taking a risk.
Despite how nerve-wracking and risky tattooing can be, I love every second of it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I grew up in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, Early, Tx. In school I was definitely one of the more outlandish type, wearing an array of colors and just never fitting in with anyone else. I’d loved art since the moment I could hold a pencil and could never stop doodling or drawing. Despite the art classes not being a focus of the school compared to the academics and sports programs, I adored my art teacher and originally planned to follow her path. I first went on to get my Associates of Art at Weatherford College, and then transferred to Tarleton State University where I decided to keep going for a teaching degree so I could teach high school art. The program at Tarleton truly tested my drive and will to be creative. In my last year, I had a serious mental break that landed me in the hospital, and when I got better I decided to get a tattoo to commemorate my rise from the low point I’d hit and that’s how I met my to-be mentor. He’d ask to see what I had been working on in school and soon after offered me an apprenticeship.
It was terrifying to tell my parents that I had decided to drop out of the teaching program and switch to art entirely, and even harder to tell my conservative father that I wanted to be a tattoo artist. Thankfully it all seemed to go well, my parents both came around to the idea and started cheering me on as soon as they saw how happy I was.
I ended up graduating with a Bachelors of Fine Art and finishing out my apprenticeship. Unfortunately as time goes on, and I’ve been drawing and tattooing almost daily, I’ve had trouble with carpal tunnel and spine alignment preventing me from working on bigger time consuming pieces. I’ve had to learn to be gentle with myself and not push too far or hard on my work. While long sittings are hard for me to get through, I’ve found a big passion for the dainty type of artwork. I love doing florals, linework, scripts and lettering. While the small tattoos can be overlooked often compared to be the giant full sleeves, I absolutely adore the precision and focus it takes to do the fine-line work.
The tattoo industry can be super rough when you’re starting out, no one takes you seriously and every shop wants you to ‘prove’ yourself. Nothing about tattooing is easy, but I believe, if you truly want something you’ll keep your head high and keep pushing yourself. To be an artist you have to keep growing, trying new things, and remember why you fell in love with it in the first place. Don’t ever be too hard on yourself, and don’t let the fear of failure keep you down.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am still relatively new to Fort Worth so I have lots of exploring left to do myself, but some of my favorite places to eat currently are Reata for their Cowboy steaks and bacon wrapped jalapeños, and Texas de Brazil for the salad bar and the experience in general. My favorite places for a good time would have to be Cidercade, the Fort Worth Zoo, and Six Flags.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I absolutely could not be where I am in life without my parents, Jean and Winifred Campbell. They are the foundation of my success and the people who have cheered the hardest for me despite how different my life path strayed from their own. Regardless of our differences, I also owe credit to my mentor KJ Meador, who took a chance on me and allowed me to apprentice under him at his shop in Dublin, Texas. I would not have pursued this career path if it weren’t for him.

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